How to Make the Most of a Blank Page
How to Make the Most of a Blank Page
Written by Natalie Glennon
If you’ve ever opened up a journal to a blank page only to find yourself paralyzed with uncertainty about what to write, you’re not alone. Journaling offers a wide variety of mental health benefits including reduced stress, increased creativity, and a greater understanding of your thoughts and feelings. But often, the hard part is getting started.
If every blank page presents a challenge to you, I’m here to offer some tips about how you can reframe your journaling experience in order to achieve these benefits and make the most of a blank page exercise.
Embrace imperfection.
One of the things that might stop us from journaling is the fear that what we write will not be good enough. To confront this fear, I invite you to think of journaling as a creative outlet without any rules or bounds. What you write doesn’t have to be pretty or profound or neat by any means. Challenge yourself to let go of your expectations, and write whatever comes freely to you! Engage in a brain-dump or any practice that lets your blank page hold your thoughts and feelings exactly as they are. Think of the page as a safe space where your brain can just exist, for your eyes only.
Get creative.
When you open yourself up to creativity in journaling, there is endless potential for what you might write on a blank page. Maybe you find that it’s easier to express your thoughts in bullet points or through poetry. Or maybe you enjoy incorporating drawings into your journal entries. You can even use colors or stickers to represent which emotions you feel at different points. Don’t be afraid to be silly, get messy, and let your imagination run free.
Use journaling prompts.
If it’s difficult to find that initial spark of motivation to journal, journaling prompts can be a great resource to use. Choose a prompt that you find interesting or meaningful, and write whatever comes to mind. Often, writing about experiences we’re familiar with can still reveal thoughts and emotions that had been hiding just under the surface. You can even challenge yourself to choose a prompt that makes you contemplate deeply before writing—you might be surprised as to what you come up with. Here are a few broad prompt ideas to get you started:
A core memory
Moments I want to linger in
Shared human experiences
What love feels like
I know I’m growing because…
Feel your feelings.
When journaling, it’s important to try to connect with your authentic thoughts and feelings. For instance, if you’re feeling overwhelmingly upset about something but you are trying to force yourself to write about gratitude, then you probably aren’t going to experience the full benefits of either journaling or gratitude. Journaling is not about suppressing uncomfortable feelings in pursuit of other ones; it’s about finding ways to address, articulate, and gain a better understanding of all types of feelings. Only once we process our feelings can we find a way to move forward.
Utilize structure.
Although journaling can be a great method for exploring and understanding difficult emotions, structure is key to prevent this vulnerability from backfiring. Once you get into the rhythm of journaling, it can be easy to get carried away and start spiraling until you feel completely overwhelmed and even helpless. That’s why you should set a time limit. Journaling for about 15 minutes can provide you with enough time to engage in thoughtful self-reflection, but not too much time that you end up listing every bad thing that has ever happened to you—don’t do that.
You can also use context to find your ideal journaling routine. Maybe what you journal about in the morning is different from what you want to journal about at night. Pay attention to how these changes affect your mood throughout the day, and find what kinds of structured journaling work best for you. Remember, journaling is supposed to benefit your mental and emotional health.
Overall, different methods of journaling work for different types of people. Feel free to try out these different tips, embrace creativity, and find what’s waiting for you on your next blank page.